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NBA Draft: How James Bouknight will impact the Charlotte Hornets

By Filippo Barresi

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 29: James Bouknight is interviewed after being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets during the 2021 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on July 29, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 29: James Bouknight is interviewed after being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets during the 2021 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on July 29, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) /
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James Bouknight, UCONN, Charlotte Hornets (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
James Bouknight, UCONN, Charlotte Hornets (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) /

Bouknight will be key to the Charlotte Hornets’ offensive gameplan

As stated before, Bouknight’s offensive role will probably mirror what Rozier has been doing the last couple of years, with the obvious difference that we have between the two skillsets. James Borrego will initially trigger him as an off-ball play finisher giving him open looks from three off movements, or trying to give him the right motion to properly attack the rim. In addition to this, it is going to be urgent to develop his ability to handle the ball and create offense for the team.

At UCONN, he was the primary option on a not-so-talented team and because of this, he was asked to create a lot of offense on his own which was not optimal for his development. Entering his first NBA season he is going to have much better teammates and spacing that could allow him to shine at his best.

Looking at his skillset, Bouknight’s best trait is related to his ability to move when not handling the ball in his hands. His basketball IQ is underestimated as he was always able to find the right spot on the court, both to shoot the ball from distance or cutting towards the basket. This is why it’s confident to think that his role will be similar to Rozier’s who was used as a key to lock pick opponent’s defense.

Having a player like him next to Ball in the future years will be really interesting as they complement each other pretty well and could create a very dynamic duo. Last year the Hornets relied a lot on Ball and Gordon Hayward as offensive creators while Rozier, Devonte’ Graham, and even Malik Monk were not the most consistent in generating offense for the team. Bouknight may play a role in this, helping the team, especially with his own shot creation.

During his two UCONN seasons, he displayed the ability to knock down a good variety of shots going from pull-up threes to finishing at the rim and even very difficult midrange attempts. An all-around scorer is needed next to a player like Ball who is a good offensive creator but lacks some craftiness in scoring the ball with consistency. In the next clip, you can see how natural and calm he is even with very difficult attempts:

Per Bart Torvik, Bouknight ended the season finishing 66% at the rim with more than half of his two points attempt coming near the basket. It is easy to understand that his ability to put pressure on the rim was on full display during his college career and can only get better with NBA-level spacing. Being able to knock down shots from three and attack the basket with this type of consistency is the key to success for combo guards like him in the league. As you may see from the clip, his length and craftiness really help him on beating opponents while driving to the rim.

One area of improvement for him will surely be his handle consistency. NBA defenses are tighter than college ones and defenders will try to clog the rim to challenge his shooting as much as possible. As of today, his handle is way too high and not the best in crowded places. Also, one can fear his 29% from three during last season but the Hornets believe that his shot will start to drop. Some work is needed with the consistency of his mechanics and footwork while preparing his shot.